


Pretty Girl

by furiouscatlover



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Art, Boomers, F/F, Flowers, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Painting, Religion, Religious Conflict, am i that desperate for attention lmaoo, church, did i really just bait oumasia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furiouscatlover/pseuds/furiouscatlover
Summary: Tenko meets Angie.Angie meets Tenko.
Relationships: Chabashira Tenko/Yonaga Angie, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	Pretty Girl

**Author's Note:**

> hi yes not only does this story have horrible pacing issues but the characters are ooc :( sorry

Tenko was a simple lesbian. She saw a pretty girl, she fell in love. The bad part of that was that all girls were pretty. Always. The good part being she knew that she could trust all of them, even with her life.

Like, for example, her first girlfriend ever from college. Two years and still going strong!

A redhead, with little cute freckles doting on her and a face that usually was sleepy. Tenko liked how peaceful Himiko, her girlfriend, was. 

Another example would be the blonde that taught piano lessons to the kids next to Tenko's dojo. Kaede was kind, patient, and had a strong mind. They'd often spend lunch together, discussing news in the area or the weather. Things were always peaceful with her.

Finally, one of the best examples ever, was a woman with dark skin, white hair, and a yellow cloak. Tenko didn't know her name, but she did know that she often passed by her dojo, hanging up signs about a church nearby. She didn't know much about gods and all that, but she decided if she was able to see that beautiful woman she would go. Eventually. When she had free time. So, basically, never.

Tenko usually woke up at 6AM, to prepare breakfast for herself and her girlfriend. After that, she set out the food and got dressed. Next, she woke up Himiko gently. Finally, they ate together, then parted for work. Tenko walked the under a kilometer walk to her dojo, opening it up and preparing the mats and the props. At 9AM, she opened the doors for the young girls to come in, then taught until noon, stopping to eat lunch. After that, she did some private one on one sessions. At the end of the day she walked back to her apartment, prepared dinner, and ate with Himiko. They would talk about their day, then set off for bed.

It was a nice routine.

One day, the white haired wonder stopped by as she was preparing.

"Hello! May I talk to you?" Some kind of foreign accent, but she spoke Japanese beautifully. It rolled off her tongue like she had been speaking it her whole life.

Tenko dropped her mat. "Yes, of course! Come inside." She closed the door behind her.

"Atua and I have been watching you, you see, and He thinks you're perfect!" The woman said, clapping her hands above her head.

"I'm sorry, 'Atua'? Who's he?" Tenko asked.

"Ah! He is but the divine creator of this world! Our God!"

"Um... makes sense..."

"You're perfect for my latest project! I'm a painter, you see! I don't usually do still life, but you have inspired me! Please, become my model!"

Tenko stayed silent, her brow furrowing and her head thumping. She pondered. "Why me?" She finally spoke.

The other woman clasped her hands together. "Nyahaha, because you are beautiful! Very strong, but very gentle too! I watch you train!"

Tenko bowed low, about to cry from the adulation. "I thank you for the compliments, but I can't! I have so much to do! Who will teach my students?"

She didn't see it, but the white haired lady smiled. "Surely you can take time off! I am more than willing to pay you well."

She considered this. Well? How well? Then she began to imagine her and Himiko, buying a house (finally) and getting a cat, like her girlfriend had always wanted. Then, maybe, they could get married! On a beach, with the sun slowly sinking below the ocean, and-

Tenko rose, nodding her head. "Okay... alright! Tenko will be your model!"

The lady smiled wider. Oh, how beautiful joy looked on her. "Perfect! Meet me here tomorrow." She started walking away when Tenko called to her.

"What's your name?!" She hollered, watching her students wait outside.

"Angie! Angie Yonaga" Then she left, causing the girls waiting to flock inside. They chatted and giggled, asking Tenko who that was. She rolled her eyes and started class.

The whole day, all Tenko could think about was that name. Was she from somewhere else? Where? Who would name their daughter such a lovely name? She was dazzled.

Finally, the day was over and she returned home, starting on a soup for her and her girlfriend.

The next day, Tenko arrived at her dojo, putting a letter on her door saying she was going to be out of town for a while. She hoped that her students would be okay, then she remembered that they were girls and that they could do anything!

Angie arrived a couple of minutes afterwards, with her yellow coat trailing behind her. Tenko noticed that she was wearing a _bikini._

 _It's winter! How is she not freezing?!_ Tenko asked herself. She did looked really nice in it, though.

 _Woah, slow down. You have a girlfriend_.

Angie smiled at her, causing her stomach to get all clenched up and light.

"Is Tenko-chan ready to begin?" Angie asked. Tenko nodded, only after a moment's delay.

The white haired woman smiled, then made a motion with her hand, pointing forward and started walking briskly somewhere. Tenko realized this when she was already many feet away, and ran to catch up with her.

They had been walking together for at least ten minutes when they arrived at a church. Tenko knew about it from the flyers Angie always put up. She briefly recalled the bright yellow flyers the other had put up. They were very eye-catching, with pink flowers drawn as a border. Tenko guessed that Angie had drawn them. The flowers were beautiful, too. Very realistic. It looked like something out of a field, plucked and pressed down on a page. She hoped this wasn't actually the case, but wouldn't ask.

The church was small, but still looming. A cross stood proudly on the top, and there were beautiful stained glass windows, casting colored light to flow through onto the ground and onto Angie. She smiled at Tenko, who was in awe at the illustrations on the glass.

"Angie did that herself!" She exclaimed.

Tenko should have known. "They're... beautiful... You did so well on it."

"Well, technically, Atua did it! I am merely a vessel for his work!" Angie smiled even wider, acting like it was common knowledge.

"Sorry?" Tenko asked, slightly baffled. 

Her companion just nodded her head to the church, then walked inside it. She scrambled to follow the white haired lady, her mind tumbling through the idea of Angie being possessed by some freaky god (if he was even real).

The pews were made out of beautiful redwood trees, but the finish had rubbed off. The podium, like the pews, was also made of redwood, and wood looked like it was rotting. The interior in general was just run down looking, with dust coating lots of things. There were a few tacky vases with fresh flowers here and there, giving it that old grandma's house vibe.

And yet, there were paintings adorning the walls. Each one was unique, some being a woman holding a lamb, while another would be of an ocean. There were kid's drawings taped up below the paintings of similar things. 

Angie continued walking, all the way to the stage, where she moved the pew away. She went into a spare closet, where she grabbed an easel, paints, pencils, markers, and a stool. The woman set up her area, mumbling a few things to herself. Tenko offered to help a few times, but the other lady didn't seem to hear her. Finally, after a few minutes of standing there, Angie smiled and spoke.

"Could Chabashira-san stand right there and pose like this?" She asked, bringing her arms above her head and looking up like she was reaching for something. Tenko nodded and stood there and posed the way she showed her, when Angie smiled at her. This continued on for a couple of minutes until Angie broke the silence.

"Oh, my bad! I forgot to tell you that it's a nude painting! Nyahaha!" She smiled and acted like it was nothing, then picked up her pencil and waited.

Tenko was shocked by this. "N-Nude?!" She hadn't expected that at all. She hardly knew this woman! Of course she loved girls, but she wasn't about to get naked for someone she had just started talking to last week or so. Not to mention that Tenko's body was disgusting, covered in scars and hair. Not to mention she would be nude! Other people would see that! _Her_ body! What-

Angie dropped her smile. "We don't have to today. I just need to start the basic sketch anyways! And if Chabashira-san still isn't ready by the time we start, she can wear her clothes!"

The horror and initial shock that Tenko had been feeling was discarded, at least for now. She promised herself she still wouldn't be okay with it, as she only wanted Himiko to see her. 

"Yeah, that's good."

The church was filled with nothing but silence. Occasionally, Angie would let Tenko drop her sore arms for a minute or two, or ask her to bring her arm up higher, or would start humming. Other than that, though, there wasn't a sound. Except for the ending.

"So, does Chabashira-san like flowers?" Angie asked, not looking up from her work.

Tenko was taken aback by the question. "Well, I'm sure everyone does."

"Indeed, but do you reaaally like them, or just kind of like them?"

"Um, I suppose really," Tenko responded, not dragging the last word out like the painter had.

"What's your favorite kind?"

"Sunflowers." 

Angie then looked up, smiling. "Why?"

Tenko's heart started to pound as the other woman's light blue eyes glimmered in the setting sunlight. "T-They're just interesting... because t-they face the sun? I guess it's just interesting to me."

The other woman couldn't seem to stop smiling. There was more silence, but this time there was ease and almost a lighter air. 

"What kind of flowers do you like?" Tenko asked.

Angie set down her a pencil, rubbing her wrists over and rolling it. "I like hollyhocks, I suppose. Roses are nice but reaallllly overrated."

Tenko nodded, but she had never seen a hollyhock before. She assumed they were pretty though. Like Angie. 

Oh, how Tenko hated herself sometimes. She was dating a perfectly lovely girl, yet she always thought girls were so pretty. She always found herself looking for too long, admiring soft skin, fair faces, and sweet lips. N-Not like she'd know much about kissing, anyways! Himiko didn't really like kissing Tenko, which was fine with her if it made her girlfriend comfortable.

She didn't realize Angie was packing up her things until her companion opened up the closet door to put her things away.

"Ah, so we're done?" Tenko asked, bringing her arms down and wincing slightly at how sore she was from standing in the same spot for so long. She cracked her knuckles and stretched a bit.

Angie nodded. "For today, yes! We shall be doing this everyday, so be here tomorrow!" She thrusted an envelope at Tenko, then they walked out together and started to walk separate ways.

"Bye, Yonaga-san!" 

Her friend waved back, then disappeared into the brush. The sun had set only a few moments before, casting the sky into a light blue. The clouds were stained orange, though, left over from the sun. Tenko began her walk home.

"Himiko! I'm hoome!" Tenko practically yelled, excited to see her girlfriend. When she was greeted with nothing, she took off her coat and shoes, then remembered Himiko would be out late tonight at a teen's birthday party. She checked the clock, and saw she had at least an hour or so to do whatever she wanted. It wasn't usual that she got to do things she liked.

Tenko mulled over her options. She _could_ start on dinner, but it was still too early. Maybe she could work out? Not an option, considering how sore she was from posing. Speaking of that, she looked into the envelope, and was greeted with a phone number, most likely Angie's, and lots of money. 

She almost squealed. This alone could pay for the rent this month, food, and extra! Tenko decided to keep it a surprise and tell Himiko at dinner. Maybe Sunday they could go get a kitten, for Himiko! There would still be much left over, too! Tenko wondered how rich Angie was, but pushed the thought away.

Tenko finally settled on taking a bath, but not until after stashing the money in her drawer. She even lit candles and made it a bubble bath! She put on some incense, turned the light off, then closed her eyes and let the atmosphere surround her. She was finally relaxed.

After the bath, she dried off briefly and went to buy food. She wanted tonight's meal to be special, as she wanted to discuss getting a house and maybe even getting married. So, Tenko would make a smaller version of kaiseki, with only three courses, but she knew Himiko would enjoy it all the same. She hurried home, and began preparing the meal.

While Tenko cooked, she kept thinking about Angie's smile. It felt so precious to her, like her heart would burst and her insides were being tickled. Her eyes were so light, such a beautiful shade of blue, like the depth of a pool. Her joy was contagious. Tenko wished she had that kind of happiness sometimes.

"Tenko... I'm home..." A voice slurred. Tenko jumped, throwing down her book and running to hug her girlfriend.

"Himiko! How was work? Was it fun? Who was there? What kind of tricks did you do? Did you-" Tenko started, then stopped herself when she saw Himiko's face. "I'm so sorry, I just got excited."

Himiko smiled, ever so slightly. Tenko wished she felt some kind of stirring inside her, but pushed the thought away. She was such a traitor. 

"It was fine."

Tenko nodded, helping her take off her overcoat. "I prepared dinner! It's a rather big one tonight, so I hope you have an appetite!"

"I already ate at the party."

"Oh," the word slipped out of her mouth before she could think. "Oh, well t-that's fine too! I can make you some tea, but I have some news."

Her girlfriend was already in their room, dressing for bed. 

Tenko felt her eyes watering, her heart thumping, her body shaking. _It's fine!_ She told herself. _It's just a dumb dinner. She'll be more happy to find out even more money tomorrow!_

"Yeah," Tenko whispered to herself. "Tomorrow."

And yet, she couldn't help but rid of the feeling that she wouldn't want to talk tomorrow. Or ever.

Tenko woke up after a restless sleep, and noticed she had slept in two extra hours, resulting her waking up at 8 am. Usually, she'd freak out, but because she wasn't working at the dojo for the next few weeks or so, she was fine. It seemed Himiko had already left, which was a shock, yet a nice surprise. Tenko took her time getting dressed, brushing her hair. She even had time and prepared herself two bento boxes, one for herself and the other for Angie.

She walked, enjoying the morning air. It was rather chilly out, she thought, walking calmly to the church and pushing away any and all thoughts about Himiko.

And so, this was Tenko's routine for the next few days. Wake up late, get ready, make bento boxes (which Angie adored and always rearranged them into masterpieces before eating), then walk to the church. This also included Himiko returning late, reeking of alcohol and teen parties. Sometimes she'd even fall asleep on the couch while wearing her day clothes. Angie would help Tenko forget about it, though, by cracking jokes, or messing around with her paint, or telling stories of her old village. 

Like how they slaughtered sheep and laid the blood out to offer to Atua, their God. Or maybe she would go into great detail about her faith in the God. Tenko didn't believe in any gods or anything like that, but Angie made it sound interesting enough. She could listen to her talk all day, really. And that's just what they did.

One day, Tenko woke up a bit earlier by Himiko, purely on accident. She had been getting up and was putting on clothes.

"Hi, Himiko!" Her girlfriend smiled sleepily at the redhead.

Himiko sighed in response, then took off. Tenko turned back around to go to sleep, not dwelling on their chilly exchange. After only ten minutes, she decided to get up early today. Tenko even took a shower, taking extra care in her hair and body. She decided she would be okay with doing the painting nude, as long as Himiko was.

Tenko ate a big breakfast, remembering that it was the most important meal of the day. She grinned at the early morning sky, realizing that she had even more time to do as she pleased. So, she decided to find out more about hollyhocks.

She scrounged her and Himiko's shared bookshelf, adorned with books on magic and aikido, and some other random books sprinkled here and there. She found an old flower book she had gotten as a birthday present from her Master, years ago. It also had information on flower language, which made her happy.

Tenko discovered that not only did hollyhocks grew native to where she lived, but also that they meant beauty, friendship, and appreciation. She strapped on some tall boots, a sweater, and headed to find a flower field.

She didn't have to look far, as she lived in a small town surrounded by nothing but wilderness. Tenko found some of the flowers easily, and carefully tread a path carved by a small river to reach them. The river wasn't deep nor wide, but there were semi sharp rocks at the bottom that she wanted to avoid. 

Tenko jumped quickly over the water, grasping onto the grass and hoping that she wouldn't fall down the small hill. She climbed up and grabbed the flowers, pulling on the rough stems. They finally came undone, and she sighed happily. The brown haired woman began fixing them up, tearing off any roots that came with it, or fluffing up the petals gently. 

She scaled down the hill, flowers in mouth, and almost slipped, until she leaped across quickly. Finally, she nodded with herself and began her way to the church.

Heavy clouds made their way into the sky, followed by a heavy rain. Tenko didn't have an umbrella, nor a rain jacket, but she didn't care. She just hoped that the flowers weren't being crushed underneath her sweater. She felt the leaves prickle at her skin, to which she ignored.

She began running, the rain making her hair and her clothes wet. Tenko pounded at the doors, noticing that there were candles and lights on. Angie greeted her at the door.

"Come in!" She ushered her in quickly, then slammed the doors. Tenko didn't notice this from the first few days, but the church smelled like what a grandmother's house would smell like. Dust-like, but not necessarily. 

Tenko pulled out the flowers, now slightly damp but still intact, and handed them to Angie. Her companion's eyes lightened up so bright, it was chasing the clouds outside away.

"They're beautiful!" She exclaimed, reaching out to grab them. Their hands brushed slightly as Angie took the flowers, causing Tenko to get chills. It felt like some kind of ghost had taken over her body... or something. "Thank you so much. Ah, you know what?" She asked, in her rich accent. "These would look so nice behind the podium!"

Angie rushed to put the hollyhocks in a vase, arranging them nicely, as Tenko took off her shirt. She wasn't wearing anything else, other than her bra, as she thought it would be nice out today. Her pull over was dripping water on the floor, so she wrung it out. 

Tenko sat down in one of the pews, catching her breath. Angie walked up to her and smiled. "We can just relax for a bit first. We're making a lot more progress than I thought, nyahaha!" 

"When do you have your services here?" Tenko asked.

"Every Sunday! We're just like a Christian church." Angie pondered something for a moment, then began speaking again. "Why, would you like to come to a service?"

Tenko nodded, starting small, then grew more confident in her answer. "Yeah. The way you speak of it, Yonaga-chan, it makes me interested."

"Don't you have a religion?" 

"I'm atheist, or at least I think I am. Would you mind If I came to a service this Sunday?"

Angie understood. "Not at all." She scooted closer and closer to Tenko, until their arms were touching. She took off her yellow overcoat and put it over her friend. 

"Thank you," Tenko smiled at Angie.

Angie grinned, even though her eyes and mouth twitched in an unusual way. Her smile faded, though, as she looked behind Tenko and saw her paintings on the walls.

"I should probably get going," Angie shrugged. "I don't like painting when it rains. Although rain usually means rebirth and good luck, and what not, I usually like to paint in much better weather. It helps with my mood.

Tenko nodded, feeling ever so slightly disappointed. Still, she shook off the feeling and nodded. "Fair enough."

Angie stood up and stretched, yawning like a cat. Tenko felt herself staring, then quickly turned to the ceiling as Angie was facing her. She gasped in surprise.

"D-Did you paint those?!" She asked, but she already knew the answer to that. It was a beautiful painting, like the ones in the cathedrals in Europe she had heard so much about. It was a beautiful mural, one of a beautiful woman floating in clouds, covered in what looked to be a beautiful red satin gown. She was reaching higher to the sky, smiling. Tenko didn't even know why she was so surprised. All of the paintings that Angie had ever done were beautiful, anyway.

Angie smiled at the excitement and wonder in her friend's eyes. Yes, that was the thing she lived for. Not for Atua, but for the utter joy that the people who saw her artwork felt. The awe that people held in their eyes, when they want to put it into words but can't. Pictures do hold a thousand words, anyways.

While the two girls were walking home, Angie led the conversation into animals.

"What would you say your spirit animal is?" Angie asked, watching the ever darkening sky bleed into a dark red. They were lucky to be able to leave during a break in the rain. The wet asphalt was all they could smell.

"Definitely a tiger! Or maybe a bear! Either way, some kind of big strong animal." Tenko smiled, to which Angie nodded to. It made perfect sense, albeit those are some of the more common spirit animals. "What about you, Yonaga-san?"

She didn't seem to hesitate, as she seemed to have anticipated the question. "A fox."

Tenko looked to her, about to ask 'how so?'... Angie didn't answer, though. 

"Well, this is where I'm off." She did some kind of sailor salute, then headed off in to the bushes.

The next day, Tenko woke late, hurriedly ate her meal, then went off to the church. It was an extremely quick day, the conversations with Angie blurring by. It was sunny today, causing the painting to go by much quicker. Angie refused to show it to Tenko, telling her to wait, because seeing it when it was finished instead of while it was being made will be worth the wait.

But, even with the light rays streaming through the beautiful stained windows, it wasn't going to last. The sky grew dark, like yesterday. It was cold, freezing even. Angie, luckily, had on a fleece shirt that kept her nice and warm, but unluckily for Tenko, she had worn a loose t-shirt, perfect for anywhere but the rain.

They had stopped a few hours after they ate lunch, and Angie gave Tenko her yellow overcoat to stay warm. They talked, very briefly, but decided that silence was better. Tenko allowed herself to sit very closely to Angie, to where their arms were brushing.

Tenko felt her heart beat, as she leaned to Angie. Just a bit at first, then stopping to see what the other woman would do. Angie leaned in too. They continued this until their foreheads were touching, until they could smell what the other had eaten for breakfast. Tenko didn't want to make her friend uncomfortable, but she so badly wanted to kiss her. 

"Can I kiss you?" Angie whispered, taking Tenko completely off guard. 

Tenko responded, almost timidly. "Yeah."

And Angie closed in, pushing her lips against another pair of lips, intertwining chapped lips with soft ones. They moved into each other, bodies almost melding together, arms grasping at the other's face. A tilt of the chin, a cupping of the cheek. Red dust bloomed on both of their faces as they continued, then it broke apart as they did for air.

Heavy pants echoed along the church, intertwining with the thud of lightning and rain.

"I-I should get going," Tenko said, handing back the bright yellow over coat.

She turned around, her face as red as it could get, when Angie grasped her hand. The shorter of the two looked desperate, her face twisting with embarrassment. It was pretty cute, Tenko thought, until she started sobbing. It wasn't ugly, not at all, it just made the aikido master sad.

Angie let go and started wiping the tears coming down her face. Tenko put her hands around the other's face, softly wiping away the tears. Even through the obvious sorrow on her face, and in her beautiful eyes, she smiled.

"I'm s-so sorry," the white haired woman apologized. "I-I'm not allowed t-to even th-think about liking an-nother girl! It's wrong!"

"It's fine," the other woman reassured. "What's some random guy in the sky going to do?"

Angie didn't scowl, her face scrunched up in fear. "It's not h-him, he's not even real... It's his f-followers..."

She ran into the rain, her silhouette getting farther and farther away. Tenko didn't mean to insult Angie's religion like that, and yet... 

Tenko realized that she had fell so hard. Oh so hard for Angie.

She wasn't planning on getting back up anytime soon, though.

Angie had left. Tenko waited, wondering if she'd come back to put away her art supplies, but even after hours of slumping over at the pews, nothing. She texted Angie, but Tenko figured that she wouldn't be coming back. She couldn't stop thinking about it. She had a girlfriend.

Tenko realized, with horror working it's way into her posture, she just cheated on Himiko.

She ran home, rain slapping her face and her skin. It hurt, but she had to get home. She had to confess everything. She had to let Himiko know what she'd done.

Even more terror wormed its way into her mind. Would she even care? She stopped dead, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. She thought about Himiko coming back so late, her attitude to her the few times they talked. 

Tenko couldn't think about it. She wouldn't.

And yet, she could. That's all she'd been thinking about.

Maybe, just maybe, Tenko wasn't the only one cheating.

She texted Himiko, telling her to come home immediately. 

An hour or so later, Tenko stood in front of her girlfriend. She was soaking, but she didn't care. 

"S-So, Himikoo," The taller of the two had never been good at being authoritative to the other. "What kind o-of, um, parties have you been going to?"

Himiko shrugged. "Teenagers, young adults. People around our age, I guess." She yawned.

"I haven't been, uh, ho-honest. I've been having feelings for s-someone else..." Tenko's heart sank. She didn't even care. "I don't r-really think y-ou're being honest either."

"Yeah." 

Tenko's heart, sunken, now cracked and shattered into a million tiny pieces. "Oh."

"I'll go get my things."

How fast things change, she thought. Just a week or so ago, she was so happy. That was the only thing she kept thinking about, as she helped Himiko pack up her things. 

Tenko was alone. It had been only five days since Himiko had left, but it made her heart ache and her head heavy when she even looked at something. Like their ex-shared bed, or the kitchen, or their bookcase flooded with books on magic and baking. Tenko was shutting down her dojo, was going to look for another job. She couldn't stop thinking about the way they had met.

At college, Tenko took a business course. Of course, she was going to run her own dojo, so she'd need to learn finances. Albeit she wasn't good at it, she could manage her own little company and turn in her taxes on time. Himiko had been in the class, and Tenko was crushing _hard._ On a nice Thursday, they had studied for an exam, and slowly formed a bond. After graduating, they grew a garden and sold fruits and flowers to raise money for her dojo.

Tenko had already known it would be too painful to try and run the dojo without Himiko's quiet suggestions. She only got up and out of the house to shut it down. Other than that, Tenko kept the blinds shut and stayed sitting on her bed.

She would spend time sketching, singing, and even sculpting, to refine her emotions and curb them into the arts. Tenko didn't want to be physical right now, as she couldn't sleep. She would, instead, spend the dark hours of night to make things.

Everyday was the same, really. Sometimes she would spice it up and go to the forest smothering the town, and just scream. Scream about Angie, about Himiko, about how she was going to die alone. She was okay with that, though. Right?

Tenko couldn't keep this up. The dark haired girl cried out to the hollyhocks, and the other various flowers surrounding her. She wished she could just decompose, have mushrooms break down her disgusting body. Like the books Himiko read. Oh, Himiko.

"Hello?" Tenko heard a faint voice from where she lied. The grass tickled her skin and dandelions sheltered her. She was hiding in the tall grass, from who ever that familiarly sounding woman was.

"I heard somebody crying, or something... Is anyone there?" Tenko needed to hear it again to be sure, but it might've been someone she knew. She clutched her hands to her chest and held her breath.

The voice sounded closer. "Atua? Is that you?"

The dark haired woman's suspicions were confirmed. Angie. 

"Oh well." Angie walked away. Tenko sat up just enough to see her. She was wearing a white dress that flowed and rippled in the wind. There was an easel, with another one of Angie's lovely paintings, schemed in glorious colors of pink, red, and purple. She was drawing the meadow, and... somebody lying in the flowers? The parallel to Tenko was funny at first, until she looked closer and saw that it indeed was her. 

She stood up and followed her friend. Friend? Crush? Tenko didn't even know anymore. "Yonaga-chan!"

The shorter lady turned and looked surprised, but then smiled. Even if it was a bit of a forced smile. "Oh, Chabashira-san."

"What is that?" Tenko questioned, pointing to the lovely painting.

"Ah, well, I just enjoyed drawing you so much..." Angie said with a smile, but she picked anxiously at her skin. There was so many hues of pink and purple and red on her hands from the paint, making it look like she had just murdered someone. 

The two of them stood, awkwardly avoiding eye contact and trying to think of something to say. They stood there for a good five minutes or so, inhaling the aroma of the flowers and swaying in the wind like the trees that bordered the meadow. 

Angie opened her mouth to speak when they both jumped at a loud screeching and high pitched whining. 

"What was that?" Tenko said. It sounded so hauntingly sad.

The other woman shrugged, and they walked together. The noises continued, accompanied by clicking and barking. They sped up their pace, turning their brisk walk into a run. The wind whipped their faces, urging them along. Tenko, having not slept in the past few days and hardly eating, felt exhausted. 

Finally, they arrived at a hollow. There was a tree, long fallen over and a little nest inside an old hole, most likely made from an owl. And next to it, two foxes tussled. When the two women arrived, the bigger fox fled with a quick yelp. 

But it left behind an injured fox. Its chest was ripped open. Angie ran straight to it, examining the wound. 

Tenko stayed back. "We should stay back! What if it has a disease?!"

"We need to get her help," her friend said, not looking up.

"It's too late anyway," Tenko argued. "It's... well, it's probably dead."

For the first time since they've met, Tenko was able to see Angie while she was angry.

"Then leave! If you won't help her, I will!" 

Tenko wanted to stay, but she didn't wish to further upset her friend. So, she left.

Tenko bashed herself eternally. She had the perfect opportunity to ask Angie what was wrong, yet she didn't take it. Instead, she insulted her spirit animal. Tenko didn't even know how much foxes meant to her. Maybe she had a pet fox that died, or maybe it was just an animal she liked. Still, she didn't feel good about the whole thing. 

She hurriedly made her way home, announcing her arrival but remembering there was no one to tell it to. Maybe she should get a dog or something.

She lied down in her bed, feeling the soft comforters, and felt too tired to cry. She didn't think she would be able to produce tears. She felt her mind was static and fluff, as she replayed the events of what just happened. Tenko could've asked what was wrong, before the foxes started crying. In that moment of dull silence. She could've found out why Angie was so upset about them kissing.

Of course Tenko was upset about it. It's not like Angie singlehandedly ruined Himiko and her's relationship, but it might've helped it along. _Angie mentioned something about her religion_ , Tenko thought. _And how liking another girl was wrong._

Tenko was thrown back to her home life, where her parents didn't even care about her enough to buy her food, so she had to live with her grandmother. She was a very hyper person, so her grandmother enrolled her into the dojo. Her grandmother, although very supportive, was very Catholic. Tenko came out to her on her 17th birthday, to which her grandma said she was unholy and a sinner. It took her a while to adjust, and even now she still got weird glances from the only person who cared about her for her first 18 years of life.

Tenko hoped Angie wouldn't get into trouble. She didn't know about her family, or what the values she was taught. As far as Tenko knew, her friend's family could've been those people who beat up gay people.

The last thing Tenko thought before she submerged herself into sleep was that she was going to go to the church service. She was going to apologize.

Tenko couldn't find something nice to wear. She hardly went out on dates, she never went out in general. The nicest thing she could find was a light orange dress, but it was kind of short. She wished she could remember where she got it, but she couldn't. After quickly getting dressed, she walked to the church.

There were quite a lot of people, mingling and talking. As expected, they were all old people. Tenko reminded herself not to say anything that would get her kicked out. So, basically, she would just have to be quiet and sit still.

One of those things was difficult as it was, but when a very short old woman approached her, the aikido master knew it was over for her. The woman wore dark magenta, with a huge hat carrying a peacock feather on the top. 

"Hello dearie! Are you new?" The woman smiled, clasping Tenko's hands in hers. 

Tenko, surprised by the physical contact after almost a month of absolute nothing, jumped a little. "Yeah! I, uh, just recently converted. I've never been to this church before and, well, is there anything I'm supposed to do?" She babbled, not meaning to but dragging her words out long.

The old lady just smiled at her. "Oh, you don't need to do anything. Well, you could donate, but other than that you just stand up, sing, and listen to the pastor." The aikido master nodded, feeling much more relaxed. The lady continued. "You can sit next to me if you'd like, dearie."

"Thank you so much!" Tenko almost squealed, barely stopping herself. She bowed a little, then followed her new friend to the seats.

They waited in pure silence until the lights turned off, and a rickety projector whirred to life. A blank wall was filled with glowing light. Lyrics of a cheesy and unoriginal religious song was spat out of horrible quality speakers. It was too loud.

Tenko tried singing along, but she stumbled many times, her throat still sore from screaming in the fields. She was already having trouble standing still without fidgeting on the hem of her dress, she couldn't imagine how horrible it was going to be when she was sitting.

She didn't notice this during her time with Angie, but the heater sucked. It was at least a few degrees above zero outside, but inside it was even colder. Not just did the heater suck, the ventilation system or something smelled horrible. Like dried prunes and strong perfume. Or, maybe it was the old people.

Her whole body grew hot when she screeched out an incredibly off note. A few people sitting around her turned to look, some looking away immediately after but others started. Tenko hated it when people stared. It was so rude!

An older woman, middle aged by the looks of it, who had been leading the whole church in song, said a few words about how donating is very easy and how low they are on funds. Tenko definitely had been there a time or two, but guilt tripping people for money was the lowest of low. She reluctantly handed over a few spare coins she had in her dress pocket.

The woman turned the microphone over to... Angie. Tenko fidgeted with her sleeves, not looking up but still listening. She hoped Angie didn't see her. 

It seemed not, because Angie started talking about Atua and all the things he has done for humanity. Like, for example, how he single-handedly created the Earth, each individual person, and every blade of grass. Instead of the free spirited, happy girl I knew, Angie's voice was monotone. I looked up once or twice and saw her eyes were soulless, her hands shaking as she grasped the microphone like her life depended on it. 

She must've said these words at least a hundred times or more, because she didn't stutter or drop out on a single word. She said it quickly, too. Like she wanted to be done. 

The quality in her voice dropped, her voice now shaky. "Today we will be learning about, um..." Papers rustled as she looked for something. I got anxious watching her. "We are learning about Atua. T-this is definitely something you all have learned before, but we have one or t-two new people."

I listened intently, waiting for her to start speaking. Something was definitely going on with this church, but I didn't want to act suspicious. I fiddled with my hands.

Angie's eyes gleamed. Her voice was now wobbly, almost difficult to hear what she was saying. "I can't do this!" She screamed, running out of the room into the art closet.

The moment she slammed the door behind her, everyone turned to talk to each other. The once silent room was met with murmuring, the whole church in a low buzz. Rumors were quickly thrown around.

Tenko stood up quickly, about to make her way to Angie's spot, but the old woman from earlier started talking to her. 

"Isn't it so weird? I never liked her," the lady smiled non-threatening, like she wasn't talking about Tenko's best friend behind her back.

Tenko's face grew in horror as she listened to what people were saying.

"She's so unprofessional. She's never going anywhere being that dramatic."

"If only Yonaga-chan actually believed in this. I heard she has to go to the shrink! Atua would definitely never approve."

"Didn't she have to go to a physc ward last year?"

"Well, whatever it is, she must be possessed."

Tenko found herself walking up to the podium. She didn't mean to, but she had to do _something._ She couldn't just stand by and watch these... lowlifes talk about her friend this way!

"U-Um, excuse me?" She cleared her throat. People quieted down. Tenko realized she had nothing to say, and she quickly tried thinking of an idea to get her out of this mess. And maybe help Angie, too.

She looked at the crowd for a few more awkward moments, wishing she was back at home. The ventilation sucked, and she was sweating really hard.

"That was a test. Um, I'm from an organization where we determine how people react to situations. You all... failed." Tenko was babbling on, not even thinking about what she going to say next. She knocked on the closet door and whispered to Angie. " _Play along, I might be able to get you out of this."_ She sniffled but nodded.

Tenko helped her stand up. "My friend here has been telling me how most of you haven't been following the law of Atua." The name made her tongue stiff. "I decided to come here and see how you all were doing, and you all failed the test. You need to dedicate the rest of your lives to Atua."

She knew this was the shittiest lie she had told in her life. But she needed to finish it.

Although Tenko was about to continue, a very old man spoke. "Wait a minute, sweetheart. I saw you and Yonaga-chan holding hands!" Tenko flinched at the pet name, and figured it was best to abandon her story. The old man wasn't finished. "Don't tell me you two are-!"

Angie grabbed Tenko's hand, pulling her along. She was carrying a bag over her shoulders, and the taller of the two was surprised but followed. The two ladies stopped at the front doors.

"Yes we are! Fuck you, Father Eito!" Tenko, although very confused, nodded furiously. Angie pulled her friend's face to hers and kissed her, so deep that it made Tenko ache when she pulled away.

The whole church gasped, and there was an uproar. The two of them ran out, not stopping their run for a long while. They knew they probably weren't being followed, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Tenko sneaked a few glances at her, well at her crush. She could now confidently say that she liked her friend. Maybe even more. 

Angie was giggling, a few little snorts here and there. 

"Oh god, I totally messed up that," Tenko said. "Now you can't go back there for, well... ever!"

Angie laughed harder, even wiping away a stray tear. "Good! I _hate_ that place. I _hate_ Atua. I've been forced to go there for years, and I've always wanted to leave in that sort of chaos. Thank you."

Tenko suddenly understood. It was like her old situation. "Oh. Oh, oh my god."

They stood, flowers tickling their legs as the plants swayed in the breeze. The weather had finally cleared, for the first time in a while. Unknowingly, or maybe on purpose, they had landed themselves in the same field they were in a couple of days ago. Maybe it hadn't been a long time since, but it felt like it.

Angie brought her face close to Tenko's. "Can I... can I kiss you?"

Tenko blushed, and nodded. This time it felt right.

Their lips met, softly grazing onto each other. Their bodies melded together and they stayed close even after they stopped kissing for air.

"I like you," Tenko whispered, hardly able to stand still.

Angie giggled. It was heavenly. "I like you too."

Months passed. Angie finished the painting, and it hung up on the wall over her and Tenko's shared bed. Tenko took up singing in her free time, but was still entirely dedicated to having her own dojo. Instead of the small minded town, the two ladies moved closer inland. There was a forest, still, only this time it surrounded a huge city. Every weekend, they'd camp in the woods, and listen to the foxes. Angie was slowly but steadily becoming a fox expert, and would sprout random fox facts whenever she could.

A lot of times, Tenko looked at the painting and thought about how her life used to be. She considered how she didn't even know she didn't like it. Although she got really upset sometimes, Angie was there with her.

And she didn't want it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> i had this idea a while ago and was rather scared to write it because wlw isn't very big in most fandoms. not just that, but tenkangie/yonashira is underrated. there's at least like 30 pieces of art for it and it makes me sad... i personally dislike himiko and her treatment of tenko when she was alive, but feel free to disagree. she discarded tenko and took her for granted, then after she died she realized what she missed too late. meanwhile, i believe tenko x angie has so much potential. with time it could be a really sweet relationship. 
> 
> god, i started writing this in august! i didn't realize it would take this long, but it IS at least 8k words, if not more. that one scene in the church at the end is... a whole ass mess. i don't know what i was even doing lol.
> 
> around half way through i realized that atua is an actual polynesian god,, honestly i tried really hard to not offend anyone. if i did please tell me immediately and i will change it.
> 
> thanks for reading!! please stop sleeping on my girls,, give them love thank u.


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